Power transmission



pl'il 30, 1929. w, BAKER. JR 1,711,220

POWER TRANSMISSION Filed May 26, 1927 @Sheets-Sheet l @www ,litio/wey.

April 30, 1929. w. H. BAKER, JR 1,711,220

POWER TRANSMISSION Filed May ze, 1927 z sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 3c, 192e.

- UNITED STATES l,PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BAKER, Ja., or CINCINNATI,l OHIO.

POWER ,irnANsii/IISSION.'

Application flied Mayes,

rIhis invention relates'to power transmissions in which the ordinary mounting or supporting wheels of a locomotive-engine, that are ordinarily vknown as the driving-wheels thereof, are accompanied by a superposed seriesof relatively-coincident axle-connected auxiliary driving-wheels, the latter being connected by means ofcrank and reciprocating mechanism vwith thesteam-pistons at the opposite longitudinal sides of the engine` and thel prime object of suoli novel'and peculi-ar arrangement being intended by me to duly correct and ,adapt the thrust oi the piston and connecting-rod members from the desired eccentric` oiiE-pointsoftheaxle-cen` ters oi said auxiliary driving-wheels so that they are elevated above the'p'ossibility of conflicting contact with any objects below thel axle-centers ol' the saidv lower supportingwheels, such improvedarrangement of elevated auxiliary-drivers in connectionwith` said supporting-wheels bringing' into eiective action a lever-power that is inmore direct line with the actual point ofimpingel ment or delivery of that power so asto materially enhance theuse of the steam, decreasev the undue size of the steam-cylinders, increase the pistonspeed .and the `power of the lower supporting-wheels at the rails, and

materially increasing the ratio of' pressure in t-lie smaller cylinders from the generating boiler. It 1s `my purpose herein to build a locomotive-engine that will develop most of its power at its most economical' speed of approximately live miles per hour; `It is well known that all the vlarge railroads use what are called hump yards and that, in

such yards, engines are used thatiwere designed to develop their maximum power and economy at from twelve to lifteen ymiles per hour, on upgrades,of course, andthat, with present methods of using such engines, they cannot be built to run slower and ,si'multal 1927. Seriall No. 194,473.

costly, and it is'my aim to remedy it' with is my purpose,`too`, to materially reduce the size of the steam-cylinders and the piston-` ythrust whereby the piston-speed is increased` and, further, through the' improved leverage system employed by fine, thepower at the point of Contact with the track rail will be increased. Under present conditions, where the piston-thrust is applied to a single drivingaxle or shaft"thepiston-stroke'must be my structure herein shown and described. It

shorter than the diameter of the drivingwheel, but, on the other hand, when the piston thrust is applied to 'an auxiliary, upper driving axle or shaft, such as mine herein, the piston-stroke can be made longerr than the diameter of the upper driving-wheel.

My improved structure Vherein lcomprises superposed'auxiliary driving-'wheels for locomotive engines that are supportedon base wheels-or rollers that have duly flanged rims or tires similar to the old form of driving wheels, but without theV rweight-of the engine on thegaxl-es, the latter simply connecting the said base wheels orrollers in transverselyaligned pairs on the track and the load being borne bythe axles of the said auxiliary ydrivingfwheels whose rims'properly conform to and restin' frictional contact with the flanged rims or tires of said base wheels. The said upper auxiliary drivingwheels are provided with .crank or eccen'trically-set pins that'laterally extend from themfor connection with the pitman of the sliding piston-rod 'at each of the two longitudinaly sides of the engine, but with ample clearance that is ele- 'vatedconsiderably above any possible cOn-A tact with' the track or road-bed below;

In^ 'the :accompanying several sheets of drawings, forming a part of this specification, the views are of a diagrammatic nature only, but they serveythe full purpose of' explaining my vimproved power-transmission system for locomotive steam-engines, and, of such views, Fig. l is an elevation of a `fragmentary part of the engine.; Fig. 2, a transverse section of'thetrack showing` thereon in cross elevation my improvedarrangement of lower supporting-wheels, and auxiliary upper driving-wheels; 3, a side elevation showinggmy improved system herein,

especially Aviewing a relatively small-sized upper aiixiliarydriver provided with a comparativelylongv crank-arm whose rod-connected end extends below the periphery ot said driver inv thev lowermost part, of its in transporting cars along railways, but suicient, however, to clearly illustrate (along one side only) my somewhat simple invention herein that is adapted, more especially,

to freight-carrying cars travelling at low or moderate rates of speed".

A indicates the track rails; B, one oi: the two longitudinal elevated side rails or beams oi the mainframe of the engine; B, the parallel top frame-rail; C, one of the usual two steam cylinders at the fore end of the engine; D, the piston within said cylinder; E, the piston-rod; F, the sliding cross-head; Gr, the pitman or connecting-rod pivotallyconnecting said cross-head and the outer end of a crank-arm H, and the latter radially-extending from a horizontal drive-shaft I.

The drive-shaft I forms the main axle of each of the series of cross or transverse-axle connected pairs of driving-wheels 7, which I have heretofore called auxiliary superposed driving-wheels because they are mounted in the bearings or main driving-boxes 8 that are housed in the upper pedestals or housings- 9 on the aforesaid inain-trame rail B, the upper extremities of said housings being sint-` vably att-ached to the said upper or top tramerail B, as best seen in Fig. 4. Upright saddles 10 extend :from` the said main driving boxes 8, and the horizontalsets of strong leatsprings 11 are mounted in said saddles with their opposite ends pivotally-secured in the upper ends of perpendicular hangers 12 and 12', the hanger 12 being, in turn, pivotallysecured at its lower end to the center of a horizontal equalizingdever 13, and the other hanger 12 being pivotally-secured at its lower end to thesaid main frame-rail B. In said Fig. 4, it will be seen that the said equal.- iZing-lever 13 has at one end a short extension-hanger connection 13 with the said main `lrame-railB and atits other end a long lower extension-hanger connection 14 with one end oli ahorizontal bar or lever 15 which passes in intimate pivotal-contact with the bottom of the lower bearing boxes 16 at the opposite sides of the engine,.the other or further end of said lower lever 15 being pivotally-secured to the lower end of a short extensionhanger 17 that is parallel to the said long lower extension-hanger connection 14, and thence has pivotal-connecti on with the said main tramerail B.

Lower axles 18 connect eross-pairs of rollers or base supporting-wheels 19, the latter being mounted in vertical alignment with the said auxiliary superposed driving-wheels 7, and said rollers 19 are provided with flanges 2O along the inner edges of the preferably tapered peripheries of their tires or rims sol as to conform to the flanged groove-extensions 21 provided along the reversed tapered rims of the said superposed driving-wheels 7, as best seen in Fig. 2, whereby the desired trictional contact can be developed between the said superposed drivers and the lower or base supporting-rollers, the latter, in turn, then becoming transmission-drivers when in contact with the track-rails.

The said lever-mechanism, comprising the said hangers, levers and springs, serves to draw or pull upward on the lower or bottom boxes ot the engine so as to increase the pres* sure between the said main and Vlower bearing-boxes and the axles journaling therein, and thereby prevent the upper drivingavheels from slipping on the lower base supportingwheels in the transmission of power from the steam-cylinders to the traclnrails. This leverinechanism is an important feature of my invention herein and is essential to -tlie suc-cess fufl transmission of said power from the steam-cylinders through the piston-thrust and contacting pairs of upper and lower vwheels onto the working-face of the track rails. Other forms of leveimechanism for the'desired frictional or other dependent transmission-contact of the upper and lower wheels can be used in my improved locomotive strueture, but that shown is believed at this time to be the best adapted to my purpose and is simple and effective in every practical way.

A lower frame-rail 22 is provided, parallel to the main frame-rail B, beneath the lower.

or stabilize the upright pedestals 23 o-f the said lower bearing-boxes in connection with said main frameaail B and in due alignment with the upper pedestals 9, as best seen in Fig. 4. y

In Fig. 1 I have shown the pitman or conneeting-rod as being coupled with the outer end of a long crank-arm H thatv is mounted on the main axle oit the upper driver, while vin Fig. 2 I haveshown a lateral crank-pin 24 extending from the upper driver direct, eccentric to its axle but not adapted to the saine long leverage that the said crank-arm I-I atfords in obtaining the greater stroke and power. A counterpoise-extension 25 is provided on the said crank-arm H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, for its usual function. A greater range oit variations in the pistonthrust oit the engine is provided by the use oi the said crank-arm members II on the upper drive-wheels and their axles and, in order to further prevent the slipping of the upper wheels on the companion lower supporting and transmission wheels, the weight of the engine might be proportionately increased and the piston-thrust on said crank-arms reduced to suit.

In F ig. 3, wherein yI show my improved form of surmounted or elevated driver and its extended crank-arm H, together with a lower supporting power-transmission roller or wheel, and a comparatively small-sized cylinder, the pressure in the cylinder is the same as that in theold form of cylinders, and the power at the rail is increased so that it will equal that of the piston-thrust when the stroke is equal to the diameter of the upperdrive-wheel. In said Fig. 3, t-he form of leverage simulates that of a second-class lever in mechanics, and it shows the connecting-rod coupled to the outer end of the crankarm H7 way beyond the peripheral line ot' the upper driver, the latter being considerably smaller in diameter than that of the supporting roller or lower transmission-wheel and its delivery of power at the track-rail being slower but greater than if the ratio of diameters were the reverse.

To sum up, in conclusion, with the past method of constructing a locomotive steamengine, wherein the piston-thrust is appliedy to a single drivingaxle or shaft,` the pistonstroke must be shorter than the diameter of y the driving-wheel, but, as in my present `improvement wherein the piston-thrust is ap- To prevent the engine constructed as herein becoming top-heavyand subject to toppling over, it is obvious that the lower supporting power-transmission rollers or wheels and the upper auxiliary drivers can be made yproportionately small and yet secure the desired power at the track-rail7 Where needed,

no-slip transmission between the steam-cyl-v inder and the track-rail contact.

I claim:

In a locomotive steam-engine, the combination of lower transverse-axle-connected iianged rollers or wheels forming a supporting sub-transmission base7 a suitable engineframe containing bearing-boxes, upper auxiliary driving-wheels having peripheral formations to coincide with the flanged basewheels and also transverse-axle-connected in pairs so as to adapt them to be superposed on said pairs of lower base-wheels, crankarms extending diametrically from the axles ofsaid driving-wheels in lengths to suit the desired stroke and piston-thrust, connecting rods or pitmen, sliding cross-heads, pistons, steam-cylinders, and lever-equalizing mechamsm comprising brackets and bars under spring-tension adaptedk to support and draw y the upper auxiliary driving-wheels and the lower base-supporting wheels into co-relation for the desired no-slip Contact of the rims of said upper and lower sets of wheels, substantially as shown and described. l f

In testimony whereof I hereunto vaffix my signature. Y

WILLIAM H. BAKER, JR. 

